Queribus

Queribus stands at about seven hundred and twenty-eight metres on a rock spike so narrow that the castle is essentially a keep with a small enclosure wrapped round it, the walls flowing directly into the cliff. It was among the last places holding out after the Albigensian crusade and surrendered in 1255, which is why it is often called the last Cathar stronghold, though whether Cathars were still there is unclear. After 1258 it became a French border post facing Aragon until the frontier moved south in 1659. Inside the keep, a Gothic hall has a single pillar fanning into ribs, an odd refinement in so bare a place.

What you actually see

• The pinnacle site - a castle occupying an entire narrow rock summit.
• The pillared hall - a Gothic room with one column fanning into vaults.
• The Corbieres and coast - views to the Mediterranean and Canigou.
• The frontier history - a border post between France and Aragon for four centuries.

When to go

April to June and September to October; the site closes in high wind, which is frequent here, and in winter conditions. Summer is exposed and hot on the climb.

Honest expectations

The path up is steep, stony and exposed, taking about fifteen to twenty minutes. Wind closures are common and announced at short notice. There is no shade at the top.

Nearby

Peyrepertuse lies northwest; Perpignan is southeast.